Circus Freak
by Secret Spy Guy
Summary: AU gift for E-Dantes Danny discovers that he's the target of a cruel ringmaster named Freakshow, who seeks to enslave him. Fighting against the control of the mysterious red orbs, Danny must break away from his new master, or lose himself forever...
1. The Beginning

**Spy: Okay. This is a prize for E-Dantes, for her wonderful entry in my contest. So, she will get this fic, which is only supposed to be three chapters, but may be longer, because this plot bunny has been eating me for a while. I know what you're all thinking. **

**"Finish something." **

**But this is for a buddy, so it's okay. **

**I have to do a Zimmers two-shot for newghost girl. :D Her entry was wonderful as well! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom **

* * *

The streets were deserted, and a cold chill tinged the air, making the outside world unappealing to those nestled snugly in their beds. A siren cut through the gloom, faint, and distant, probably coming from the neighboring crime-infested town of Elmerton. It seemed that, if only for a little while, Amity Park was peaceful, and everything was calm.

In the heart of the city, a figure with pale white hair sat, perched on the roof of a tall office building. He stared out at the world with piercing green eyes, clad in a tight form-fitting black jumpsuit.

Danny Phantom scanned the sidewalk below him, thankful for a quiet night's patrol. He took a granola bar from a pouch at his side, and tore away the wrapper, sinking his teeth into his chewy treat.

"Night watch…hour three." He announced to himself, his eyes once again darting over the quiet street. The lamp below him flickered loudly before shutting of completely, dousing the area in darkness. It was alright for him. It hid his presence from the cops who would soon be making their rounds. The boy finished his snack, finding his eyes drooping involuntarily.

"Crap." He cursed, rifling around in his pouch again. He took out a large black can with a 'C' printed on it in a bright fluorescent yellow. He pulled back on the tab, listening as the seal popped and hissed. The boy then drew the can up to his lips, taking a long swing, before setting it down on the roof beside him. He could feel the liquid pulsing in his veins.

"I hate energy drinks." He grumbled, his body twitching slightly from his increased adrenaline.

"Only another hour." Danny said to himself. "And then I can get some sleep."

He continued to sit in silence, moving only to take another sip of his drink. Then, just as he was lowering the can from his lips, a waft of mist gathered in the air before his face, followed by a drastic change in temperature.

"Go time." The boy whispered, getting to his feet. He leapt from the building's edge, catching himself in mid-air, following the loud sound of a near-by siren. Invisibly, he approached the scene, cringing when he saw a forlorn squad car flipped on its side resting on the pavement. It looked as if it had been crushed by a pair of giant fists, and then discarded as if it were no more than a child's toy. Danny paused for a moment, bile gathering in his throat as he saw a bloodied arm protruding from the wreckage.

The boy approached, his boots landing silently on the road strewn with crystals of shattered glass. He cautiously approached the car, poking his head inside of the window. Two figures were slumped inside, one still hanging limply from his seatbelt. The other man, the driver, had his belt snapped, and his skull had crashed into the steering wheel before the airbags could deploy. It was his arm that Danny had seen, and it took only a glance to determine that the police officer was surely dead.

The boy froze in his tracks, unable to tear himself from the carnage. It was then that he heard a slight groan. Looking over, he locked eyes with the remaining cop, who stared out at him through his tears..

A gash ran across the man's throat from where he had come in contact with the seatbelt. It looked as it a long shard of glass from the windshield was impaled through his shoulder. The man shuddered, letting out a pitiful cry, resting his head on the deflating airbag. The siren was still wailing, slightly off key, becoming more pitiful with each passing second.

"I'm going to get you out of here." Danny said slowly, trying to convey his benevolence to a man who believed him evil. He knew how delicate the situation was. If the man panicked, he could kill himself. Danny reached into his pouch once again, and took out a cell phone, dialing 911. He quickly gave the address of the accident, trying to disguise his voice. When he was through, he cast another saddened look at the police officer, and kneeled by the wreckage, scanning the area for clues to the identity of the culprit. Suddenly and without warning, something cold and slimy entwined around his neck, attempting to crush his windpipe. The boy gagged, grabbing at the thing strangling him, ecto energy. The thing hissed, evaporating into thin air.

Danny was suddenly on the alert. He jumped to his feet, his head whipping in all directions, his ears straining for a sound…for anything that would alert him to the murderer's presence.

His ghost sense warned him only seconds before a massive green fist collided with the side of his head. Danny was sent crashing to the pavement, his shoulder scraping across the blacktop, tearing away his suit. Through bleary eyes, the teen saw a large muscled ghost standing over him. The creature had a shock of greasy dark black hair that fell into his empty red eyes… devoid of all emotion.

The ghost grunted, his large arm swinging out, colliding with the flashers adorning the ruined cruiser. The siren faded away, leaving the street quiet again, save for the small whimpers of the remaining police officer.

The hulking ghost then turned his attention toward a jewelry store adorned with a bright cheery sign christening it the 24K jewelry shop. He slowly walked over to it oblivious as Danny pushed himself back up again, his anger fueling a charged ectoblast in his hands.

The ghost struck the front window of the shop, ignoring the sharp glass that cut into his fist. The shards flew out, a shower of them raining down on Danny. The boy cringed slightly, trying to ignore his pain. With a swing of his arm, Danny had launched his ectoblast straight at the ghost, and had struck his directly between his shoulder blades. The ghost reeled, his body tipping forward and hitting the ground. Danny smiled triumphantly, fishing around for the Fenton thermos in his pouch.

As he held the device in his hand, ready to suck his opponent away, a blur shot out at him from behind the squad car, striking him in the chest, pushing him back onto the ground. The boy forced his attacker away, coming face to face with a green-skinned feminine spirit with a patch covering one of her red eyes. She shrieked, lashing out at the boy with her long red nails, raking them across his body. Danny fired a volley of blasts at her, barely managing to keep her at bay. She forced him across the street, and he soon found himself backed against a wall. He was about to phase into the building behind him to escape his assailant's maddened blows, when a green snake merged from the wall and coiled around his ribs, its thick body constricting its prey.

Another ghost phased through as well, its fingers reaching out to stroke the snake, silently regarding it with blood colored eyes. A long dusty red cloak hid its features from view, but Danny quickly determined that it was female, from the light, airy giggle it produced as it turned to him. She grabbed the boy by his hair, running a hand over his pale cheek. Danny gasped for air as the snake slithered over his neck, cutting off his air supply. He was helpless to pull away as darkness oozed over his vision, blocking the scene on the street from view. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was the ghost slip a thick metal chain around his neck, adorned with a large, glowing red jewel…

* * *

A soft beeping sounded in his ears, persistent and monotonous.

Danny slowly opened his eyes, instantly closing them again against the unyielding shaft of sunlight that fell across his face. A small groan escaped his lips, and he reached a hand up to his neck, cringing as he felt a raw pain there.

"Danny? You're going to be late for school!"

His mother's voice floated up the stairs, cutting into Danny's aching head like a knife. He groaned again, pushing himself into a sitting position and dragging his heavy body from the bed. The cold floor stung his bare feet as he walked toward the bathroom, his mind working on automatic. As he entered, his eyes strayed to the mirror, and he paused.

A dark blue bruise ran down the side of his face where the ghost's fist had made contact. Examining himself further, Danny could see more bruises encircling his neck through the opening in his pajama top. Desperately, the boy's fingers ripped at the buttons, literally tearing his shirt open. More bruises wrapped around his chest and torso, fainter than the others. Gasping, Danny stepped back, his eyes wandering to the glowing pendant resting against his pale skin. He reached a shaky hand out to touch it, finding himself mesmerized by the swirling wisps of smoke contained beneath the gem's smooth surface.

"What is it?" He whispered, taking the pendant in his hands. The boy couldn't tear his eyes away. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Magnificent.

The entire world suddenly turned red around him, mimicking the color from the wondrous jewel that he clutched in his fingers. He thought that he could hear a soft voice whispering to him, and listened to it desperately.

"Are you a ghost?" The voice asked.

"Yes." Danny replied, nodding. For some reason, he wanted to please the voice more than anything. It had a strange tone to it that sounded like music to his ears.

The boy's ghost half moved impatiently beneath his skin, as if desperate to show off its inhumanity to the voice from the gem.

"Then come to me, child…" The voice whispered. For a fleeting moment, Danny could see a map playing through his mind, carefully drawn out. It was leading him though familiar streets, out to a field, where something wonderful waited for him. For a moment, the boy reached for his ghost half, ready to venture off to the field where the voice awaited him.

But then the illusion was shattered.

"Get out of there, Danny! I need to take a shower!"

The shrill voice of his sister snapped the boy out of his trance. Danny's calm mood quickly shifted to anger as Jasmine began pounding her fist against the door, causing it to shake against its hinges. He mumbled something darkly beneath his breath, all memories of the strange gem pushed from his mind. The boy stormed out of the bathroom, almost smacking his sister in the face with the door.

Her aquamarine eyes were narrowed in rage, and she humphed angrily before locking herself in the small room. Danny returned to his room, decided against a shower for the day. Almost carelessly, he removed the jewel from around his neck, and discarded it on his mattress. Then, he proceeded to dress himself in his usual white t-shirt, and ragged blue-jeans, noting forlornly that some of his bruises were still visible.

But, the boy shrugged it off, exiting the room, hoping that no one would notice…

After the door shut with a soft click, the orb on the bed began to pulse slightly, a mass of red swirling around , becoming more active with each passing second.

* * *


	2. Taken

**Spy Guy: Yay! Chapter two! **

**I hope y'all knwo that I wrote this while I should have been writing Nano. :D Lolz. I really felt like it, and it came so easily...except for the scene between Sam and her parents. It's what held this chapter up so long. **

**Sorry, E-Dantes. I didn't mean for it to take so long. Here it is. I hope you like it. **

* * *

Samantha Manson impatiently drummed her fingers against the surface of her breakfast table, waiting for her best friend to show up.

"He's supposed to be bringing a new CD, grandma." She explained softly. "And then we're going to listen to it on the way to school."

Her wheel-chair bound grandmother, Ida, smiled warmly, her dentures pearly white and flawless.

"That young man is always late for everything." She chuckled good-naturedly. "But he likes you Sammy. He'll come."

Sam smiled, feeling her face flush slightly at the mention of her friend's signature habit.

"I hope you're not talking about that _Fenton_ boy." Jeremy Manson suddenly snapped, Danny's last name rolling off his tongue like venom.

"He's _such_ a bad influence on you, honey." said Pamela Manson. "His parent believe in all of that supernatural stuff. Ghosts and spirits. I wonder why I ever allowed you to hang out with that menace."

"Ghosts are _real_, mom." Sam protested darkly. "You see them _all of the time_."

"She's got you there, sweetie." Ida smiled, laughing slightly.

"Mother." Jeremy whispered harshly. The old woman shrugged, picking up the remote control of a small television set built into one wall. She clicked it on, and returned to her breakfast.

Pamela simply turned up her nose, glaring darkly in her mother-in-law's direction. Sam scoffed, angrily getting up from the breakfast table, lifting her heavy backpack from the floor by its strap.

"It's not fair to make Danny your scapegoat all the time." The girl snapped, sliding the bag over her shoulder. "He tries his hardest to respect the rules. Isn't that enough?"

"Hey, Sam." Danny said softly as he poked his head into the room. The girl jumped slightly, whipping to face her intruding friend. "I'm sorry." The boy continued sheepishly. "I couldn't help but overhear."

"How did he get into the house?" Jeremy demanded, glaring at his daughter. "You know he's not allowed in the house."

"He was listening in?" Pamela said, her face contorting with rage. "That's invasion of privacy. We could arrest you, young man."

"Look at that shiner." Ida chortled, pointing to Danny's face. The boy immediately covered the discolored bruise with his hand, a troubled expression shadowing his previous happiness. Sam noticed, and felt a wave of sympathy towards her friend…followed by curiosity. She would have to ask him later what had happened last night.

"He got into a fight." Jeremy growled. "A fight, mother. You can't say that he's not a bad seed."

"Now, now." Ida chortled, looking away from the T.V for a moment. "I'm sure it doesn't mean anything. You came home with quite a few black eyes yourself."

"Mother, hush." Mr. Manson snapped, his face turning bright red. Sam couldn't help but laugh slightly as she turned to exit the room, waving for Danny to follow. After taking a few steps, she realized that he wasn't behind her. She walked back to his side, and saw that he was staring, wide-eyed at the small television set resting on the counter.

"_I…am Freakshow, ringmaster of Circus Gothica, where your nightmares come alive…"_

"Come on." Sam said, gripping her friend's shoulder. He cringed beneath her touch, slowly turning his head away from the television set.

"The circus…" He whispered hauntingly, turning back to the screen, the dark red glow of the ringmaster's orb reflecting in his eyes.

"_Circus Gothica…coming to Amity Park. Cross over…to the dark side."_

"Cross…over?..." Danny whispered, the advertisement holding his attention completely.

Then, he suddenly reached a hand up to his head, gritting his teeth as if in pain. Sam gripped his arm, staring up at her friend's face, pleading for him to answer her.

"Danny? What's wrong?" She asked, pulling the boy away from the screen. For a moment, as he looked down at her, she could have sworn that his irises were the color of blood. The sight made a shiver run up her spine. It was just a reflection, wasn't it? Nothing was wrong…

Right?

"I'm…fine." The boy replied after an agonizing pause. "I just…I need to go get something from…my room. I left it there. Come on."

Danny turned to leave, gently pulling Sam along with him. She followed, trying to forget how strange he was acting, but she couldn't push it from her mind. Maybe it had something to do with what had happened last night. The bruise on his face looked sickening… The second they were out of the door, Sam mustered up the courage to ask about the night before.

"What happened, Danny?"

"Oh…" The boy whispered, walking quickly down the street. "There were these four ghosts robbing a jewelry store last night. One of them looked like a sick rendition of the Hulk, and he beat the crap out of me. I should probably pick up an aspirin too…just in case."

"Hey, cheer up." Sam smiled, "I've got plans for today. After your house, I have a surprise for you."

"What?" Danny asked, a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth

"It's a surprise." The girl replied, bringing a finger up to her lips. "You're going to have to wait."

"Fine." The boy replied, crossing his arms, frowning goofily. All traces of the strange Danny were gone, replaced by the carefree one that didn't get to show its face nearly enough. The two hurried down the street, quickly reaching Fentonworks with its large, glowing, neon sign. Danny rummaged in his jean pocket for his keys, and unlocked the door.

"Come on in." He said, pulling the door open. "Mom and Dad aren't home. They left for a convention this morning. Jazz's car is gone. She probably went to school."

"Do you think she'll notice that you're not there?" Sam asked, walking up the steps into the Fenton's living room.

"Nah. She never pays attention to me." The boy replied, setting his bag down on the ground. "Stay here. I'll be right back. My room's a mess."

"Alright." Sam replied, taking a seat on the stiff gray couch. Danny shot her a small smile, before turning around, and trudging up the stairs.

* * *

He could feel it pulling at him, like a sharp, clawed hand. _The_ angry voice thrummed in his ears, berating him for forgetting it…for leaving the jewel behind. He had to take it with him. Leaving it behind was wrong. A map flew through his mind showing him the field where his master waited.

His master…

He knew that was what the voice was…it was the man on the TV, the ringmaster.

_His _master.

Walking into his room, Danny saw the gem lying on his mattress. With a quaking hand, he took its thick chain, and slipped it over his head, allowing the orb to rest heavily against his chest. A red haze quickly settled over his mind, distorting the world…changing it, to make it look cruel and evil. Once again, the soft voice whispered in his head, so familiar…

"_Are you a ghost?" _The Master's voice hissed.

"Yes." Danny answered again, his powers pushing against his human skin. Ectoplasm surged through his veins, thick and oozing. He could feel the cold of his transformation and see the flash of twin rings that surged over his body…

He was a ghost.

Misty vapor escaped through his lips.

The window.

The boy turned, seeing the tattooed ghost perching on the sill, her thick velvet cloak wrapped around her body, the brim of the hood shadowing her face. Instinct told him that he should attack her, but the voice continued to whisper in his head, soothing him, reassuring him.

"_She is here only to lead you to me, child." _The voice of the master cooed. _"To prevent further distractions. Come…come to the circus." _

Danny found himself walking forward, approaching the ghost in the window. She held out her hand, and gently took his wrist, her tattoos writhing over her skin. Danny allowed himself to be led onto the sill beside her where they stood for a moment as the ghost scanned the skyline with her unsettling red eyes.

"Are you ready?" The ghost asked, gripping his wrist tighter.

* * *

Sam paced around the living room, checking her watch nervously. If Danny didn't hurry up, they would miss the opening ceremonies. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

What was taking so long?

Unable to wait any longer, Sam walked up the stairs, quickly approaching Danny's room…

It was then that she heard something that made her pause.

Danny's voice, low…almost trancelike, saying "yes" to…something. Sam felt her breath hitch in her throat. Who was he talking to? She shifted uncomfortably, checking her watch.

The circus would have to wait. Danny was more important…and something was wrong…

Slowly she approached the half open door, listening the soft rattle of a chain…

A chain?

A flash of light suddenly lit up the hallway, momentarily blinding her. Sam reached a hand up to shield her eyes

Why was he going ghost? Why?

What was going on?

"Danny?" The girl cried, throwing the door open. She gasped as she saw him, standing on the windowsill, a strange cloaked figure gripping his wrist. Then, as if in slow-motion, he turned to her, his white hair whipping around his face…

His eyes were blood red.

"Danny? What's going on?" Sam demanded, standing in the doorway. What was he doing…why were his eyes--?

Danny's eyes locked on hers, and his lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to speak. The only sound he managed was a pitiful whimper as he pulled weakly against the ghost's grasp, his free hand reaching out for Sam.

"Sam…" He whispered, the color of his eyes flickering between red and green. The girl ran for him, trying to reach him, so she could help him.

"Ignore her." The figure beside him whispered coldly. Danny snapped his hand back.

All traces of recognition suddenly faded from the boy's face, and he looked away, moving his hand to cradle a glowing jewel that hung from his neck.

Without warning, the cloaked ghost leapt from the sill, dragging Danny with her. He hung in the air for a moment, before catching himself, and floating by her side.

He didn't look back.

"Danny!" Sam cried, leaning against the sill.

"_Please look at me…please come back!" _she screamed in her head.

He'd been acting strange that morning. Something was really wrong. Danny was being kidnapped. She knew it. Even though he was awake, he was being taken…

She had to follow him.

Running down the stairs, Sam bolted through the front door, determined to follow them…

Even if she missed the opening ceremonies.

* * *


End file.
